Child&#39;s vehicle



Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

`JoIIN RoIBIE PARKER, or WINNIPEG, NIANI'roIaA,Y CANADA.

CHILDS VEHICLE. y

Application led February-16, 1923. Serial No. 619,406. i

Vehicles, of which the following is the specilication. l The invention relates to improvements in hobby horses and an object of the invention is to provide a hobby horse which can be propelled by the child riding the same andv which is so designed Ithat the movement of the toy horse simulates the natural Inovementl of a galloping horse, such construction making the ridingof the hobbyvhorse very realistic for the child. y.

A further object of the invention 1s to construct the hobby horse in `a simple and durable manner and so that it lcan be readily assembled and such that itis entirely op-v erated by the weight ofthe body ofthe rider. Y

With the above moreA important obJec'ts inview the invention vconsistsessentially'in` the arrangement and, construct1on of parts hereinafter more *particularly4 described and.

later pointed out, in the appended claims,

reference beinglhad to lthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is hobby horse. v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower part of the appliance, vthe horse body being removed. r n y Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view atY--k Fig. 2v and looking rearwardly. v

Fig. 4, is an enlarged detailed sectional view at 4-.4 Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view at 5-5F ig. 1.

In the drawing like characters of. reference indicate corresponding parts in the several'ligures.

A frame 1 is provided, such frame embodying similar spaced parallel side Vbars 2 and 3, the said side bars having their forward and rear ends curved downwardly and inwardly in a U shaped manner and provided with suitable pairs of bearings 4 which receive the front and rear axles 5 and 6. The axles are supported by yfront wheels 7 and 8 and rear-wheels 9-andg10, one of the rear wheels' being ,fastened vto the rear axle asby a pin 11. A supporting bar12 a side view of the complete ofthe frame and such barl is permanently fastened p to the underside ofv the hobby7 horse 14, the said horse being designed so thatv its front. and rear legs overhang, but

clear the frame. The forward end `of the bar 12 is turned downwardly vmore orv lessl centrally beneath the belly of thehorse to provide a shank 15 which,.in the downward movement of the horse,ris adapted to pass between the frame bars. The horse is supplied with a suitable saddle 16 and reins 17 and has a hand grip 18 extending through is pivotally attached at 18ito the rear part. l

the-neck and projecting` at either side.- j f A bell crank `19 is pivotally carried by the frame members 2 and 3, one arm'of the crank extending downwardlyV whilst the other arm extends rearwardly and is verticallyr slotted, as indicated at 20, to receive the lower end of the shank 15 which passes therethrough. A pin 21 connects the shank slidably tothe: latter arm of the bell crank, said pinbeing mountedslidably in similary side slots 22 andl 23 provided in the bell crank arm.

Y From this arrangement it will be obvious that when the hobby horse is swung kuplwardly and downwardly the shank will turn .the bell crank kand causek the downwardly extending arm thereof to swing forwardly' andnrearwardly. v

To the rear axle `6 I permanently attacha gear Wheel 24 which is vmeshed with a further' gear wheel 25,k the latter gearf,'vvheel` being carriedby a counter shaft 26 `rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 2.7carried by the rear ends of the bars 2 and 3. The,

counter shaft has the vends thereof formed into cranks 28 and 29 and these cranks are connected by operating rods 30 and'l'to the downwardly extending armk ofv the .bell crank. From this arrangement it will be seen that the movement `of thebell crank is utilizedto drive the rear axle and con# sequently the wheel-@10,50 that., the hobby horsel caribe propelled along the floor or such like. -A v A foot rest inthe' form lof 'a cross bar Y is permanently secured -tothe frame members 2, and 3 in a location somewhat in ad-v vance offthe bell Lcrank and located such that it formsr anatural rest forrthe feet ofthe; l

child sitting on thersaddle and permitsrthe child to lift his bodyito' relievehis weightv I facilitated by a pulling action of the hands on the hand grip 18. In order to better understand the action of the device l will now describe the manner in which the hobby horse is ridden.

The parts willbe preferably brought to a position, suchv as shown in Fig. l, by ini tially moving the horse along the floor. The child then mounts the saddle, placing his feet on the foot rest and his hands on the hand v grips. Obviously he can relieve his weight entirely from the horse by throwing 'his body ahead so that his weight is carried by the foot rest.- l/Vhen he is ready to ride he relieveshis weight onto the horse which action causes the horse to move downwardly and the bell crank to rotate the gears and consequently the rear wheels. Having done this he relieves his weight from the horse and the momentum of the moving parts carriesA the cranks around, the horse rising until it reaches its upper position. l/Vhen this is reached the child again puts his weightl onthe horse which again actuates the crank and increases the speed of travel. By repeating the body movement the child can continuously propel the hobby horse and can increase or diminish his speed as he desires.

I wish it to be noted that as the hobby horse moves the child is given a movement simulating the natural movement of a galloping horse as he has a forward movement as well as an up and down movement. His knees and arms are also in action very similar to that required in driving a horse and the whole operation is so natural that it is not only enjoyable but also beneficial to the child as he gets considerable exercise in riding.

Whilst I have shown a horse mounted on the :tr-aine it will be readily understood that such is not essential as the device can be propelled provided the child is given a seat where, the weight of his body, he can actuate the working parts. Further, I do ynot wish to be limited to the particular arrangement of cranks and links shown as these could be readily modified to accomplish a driving connection between the bell crank and the gears and Without departing trom the spirit of the invention as set forth inthe accompanying claims.

l`What I claim as my invention is:

1 'The combination with a wheeled frame, said frame presenting a foot rest, of an operators seat carried by the frame and adjoining the Yfoot rest, said seat being mounted to permit an up and down movement thereof in the direction of a wholly vertical arc, a clutchless wheel driving mechanism carried by the frame and an operating connection between'the seat and the wheel driving' mechanism wherebythe vertical movee ment of the seat is utilized to actuate the wheel driving mechanism.`

2. The combination with a wheel frame,-

said frame presenting a foot rest, of a seat carriedfby the iframe and having an up and down movement in the direction of a wholly vertical are and in a location adjoining the foot rest, and clutchless mechanism for converting the vertical movement of the seat into a rotary movement of the wheels.

3. The combination with a wheeled frame, e

said frame being provided with a foot rest, of a seat situated above the frame and ade joining the foot rest, means rearwardly pivoted to the frame and supporting the seat,

for movement in the `direction of a wholly vertical arc and clutchless mechanism for converting the vvertical swinging movement` of the seat into a rotary movement for driv-v ing the wheels.

t. rlhe combination'with a wheeled frame,y

said frame being provided with a foot' rest, of a seat situated above the frame and` adjoining the foot rest, means rearwardly pivoted to the frame and supporting the seat for up and down vertical yswinging movef ment, a downwardly extending shank moving with the seat, a bell ycrank pivotallyatf;A tached to the frame'and presenting a vertif,l

cal and horizontal arm, ya connection between the shank and the bell crank effecting the swinging of the bell Vcrank'in the up and` e down movement ofthe `shank and a driving connection between thefbell crank and,

the wheels of the frame;

ing with the seat, a bell crank pivotally attached to the frame and r'presenting a hori-L zontally extending and aV downwardly eX-Y tending arm7 al connection between the shankL and theV horizontal arm of the bell cranky.

said connection upon movement of the seat effecting the turning of the bellfcrank in:

the up andA down movement of the shank, a driving pinion connected with the rear wheels of the frame, a shaft carried by theA framea gear wheel, secured to the shaft and meshing with vthe former gear wheel. and a driving connection between thedowm wardly extending arm of the bell crank andk the crank shaft. 6. In combination, a'irame provided with forward and rear axles andwheelssupportf ing the axles, a figure of la horse positioned.

above the frame andfpresenting a sea t,. a

rearwardly extending bar having the rearj end 'pivotallylattached tothe rear part of the `frame' andthe forward' end secured tothe ligurea foot restcarried'by the frame. in a loca-tion adjacent the seat of the horse,k

a shank extending downwardly from thela'o` under side of the horse, a bell crank pivot- `crank and the rear axle, said driving conally carried by the frame and presenting neetion converting thev forward and backrearwardly and downwardly extending ward swinging movement of the latter bell 10 arms7 a pin slidably connecting the shank crankl arm into a rotary movement at thek 5 to the rearwardly extending arm of the rear axle.

bell crank, land a, drivin connection between the downwardly exten g arm of the bell -JOHN ROBIE PARKER. 

